Refrigeration



June 16, 1925. 1541,9655

D. B. K NIGHT REFRIGERATION Filed Jan. 9, 1925 avwantoz Patented June 16, 1925 UNITED s'mrras PAT NT orrics.

DONALD KFKGHT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

REFRIGERATION.

Application filed January 9, 1925. Serial To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DONALD E; Kniun r, a. citizen of the United States, residing n the borough of Brooklyn of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have 1n-- -vented certain new and useful improveiii i} I! l l) paratus has been provided by which refrigeration can carri tinuously and :iutomatically, that is, without the frequentoroccasional performance of manual operations, particularly in handling the substance to be dissolved and the solvent. It is the object of this invention to provide an apparatus by means of which refrigeration by the method referred to can be carried on continuously and automatically and in. which there shall be practically no loss either of the substance to be dissolved or of the solvent. In -,accordance with theinvention, provision is made whereby the solution or brine which has performed its function in the absorption of heat is concentrated and the practically dry salt or other substance, and the solvent, are separated and returned separately to the brine tank where the process of solution goes on continuously. The invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which it is illustrated as embodied in a 7 suitable form of apparatus and in which-- Figure 1 is a view of-such apparatus in vertical sectional elevation and Figure 2 is a View in horizontal section on the plane indicated by the broken line 22 of Figure ,1, but on a larger scale.

In the chamber to be refrigerated, indicated at a, is placed a vessel Z in which the which in process of solution of the ills dissolved, such as anunonn solvent en'hloyed, such r lies" place. )llvialilftiitlk? in this descriut a the substunrc ted will be referred to as a salt, the solvent as water, and the solution of the salt. in water as brine In the brine tank I) the brine reaches its lowest temperature and is drawn thence through a pipe 0, a jacket cl also within the I refrigerating chamber, and a pipe 6, by a motor driven pump f, placed outside of the refrigerating; chan'ibcr a. From the pinup the brine is delivered throw h a pipe into a prefer-l 'J cyliiuiriral l or picket ii. capped at its upper cut, as at it and is provided near its upper end with outlet pipes 71. which deliver the brine a it which may be called kettle.

indicated K i i for t ie purpt rine therein to a degree wlii' will it nearly to the paint of crys l'ization out leaving it still liquid. the

kettle is provided with a cover i for the purpose of preventing the escape of the steam developed in the process of concentration. Through outlets 5 which have their intake ends submerged below the surface of the concentrated brine in the kettle, the concentrated brine passes into a central vessel. or tube-Z, which is capped as at Z.

Through the tube Z and an extension Z thereof, the salt, losing the remaining water, passes back to the brine tank 6, preferably entering the same through a mixer m to which the solvent water is also supplied as hereinafter described. The salt or substance to be dissolved is selected with reference to its ability to remain in solution with a. small quantity of solvent and to give up readily the small remaining amount of solvent. Ammonium nitrate, for example, is found to be well Suited for the purpose as it will remain in hot solution up. to a strength of perhaps 98% andv will give up readily the remaining moisture when the solution is cooled. To promote the cooling of the hot solution and the crystallization of the salt the tube l is preferably jacketed "by the vessel h through which; the cold brine is delivered to the kettle. For the. further purpose of retarding the movement of the crystallizing salt, and therefore of subjecting it Ion rto the'cooling action, the interior of t e tube Z is provided with short inclined shelves Z", which are disposed in vertically staggered relation as shown in Figure 2 and are walled at one end, as at l,

so that the saturated liquid, as it descends from the outlets i, will trickle from one provided in the tube Z an agitator n, the

- from the pipe'l solved crystals in order th brine tank...

function of which is to throw the saturated solution and the salt as it loses its water against the cold wall of the tube. The agitator shown comprises a vertical shaft fit mounted in suitable bearings and armed with paddles n"; the shaft has secured there to at a suitable point a skeleton worm gearzn which is engaged by a worm m on the shaft 71. of the motor f which drives the centrifugal pu p f- Around the ]acket k is an outer jacket 0 which is open at its upper end within the kettle c' for the purpose of receiving the steam generated in the process of concentration of the solution in the kettle. The jacket 0 forms a condensing conductor which is cooled internally by the relatively cold brine 1n the jacket I2. and externally by contact with theatmosphere. In this condensing conductor the steam generated in the process of condensation is condensed and the water of condensation and steam pass thence through a pi e 0 into a coil 0 which may be jacketed or'the further carrying on of the process of condensation in a water cooled jacket 0. From the coil 0 the water of condensation is carried through a pipe 0 into a coil 0 within the jacket d, the water of condensation being 'cooledtherein nearly to the temperature oi the brine by thecold brine which is pump'ed up from the brine tank I) through the jacket d. Finally, the cooled water of condensation is delivered through a pipe 0 into the-mixer m where it is mixed with the salt crystals delivered The mixer m-may con- Sist of a suitably shaped tube in which the mixing of the salt and the solvent takes place, the opcniowcrend of the tube preferably having a screen m to retain undist they may be c brine passes nbody ofthe completely dissolved l i: from the mixer into the inn;

lft will as nnder'stom oi course, that the "I but if so they or w ll be the agitator. 0d various changes i J3. arrangement to suit antlers? conditions of la; except as pointed out 1n the ders o l i un 7226 extentupon the concentrator to the'tank, and means to.

condense the vapor of the solvent and to retu'rn the waterof cgndensation to the tank.-

eating at its upper end with the concentra- 3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a. brine tank, a concentrator, a tube communi-' tor and arranged to discharge the soluble substance into the tank, and means to supply solvent to the tank.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a brine tank, a concentrator, a tube communicating at its upper end with the concentrator and arranged to discharge the soluble substance into the tank, means to condense the vapor of the solvent and return the water of condensation to the tank.

5. Refrigeratingapparatus comprising a ,brine tank, a concentrator, a tube communicating at its upper end with the concentrator and arranged to discharge the soluble substance into the brine tank, an agitator within the tube, and means to supply solvent to the brine tank.

6. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a brine tank, a concentrator, a tube communicating at its upper end with the concentrator and arranged to discharge the soluble substance into the tank and provided interiorly with a succession of shelves, an a itator within the tube comprising a shaft ant paddles, and means to supply solvent to the tank; 7. Refrigerating apparatus comprisin a brine tank, a concentrator, a pump and to es to deliver the brine from the tank to the concentrator, means to return the soluble substance from the concentrator to.the tank, and means to supply solvent to the tank.

'8. Refrigerating apparatus comprisin a brine tank, a concentrator, a pump and tubes to deliver the brine from the tank to the concentrator, means to return the soluble substance from the concentrator to the tank,

and tubes to condense the vapor ofithe solvent and return the water of condensation to the tank.

9. Refrigerating apparatus compr sin a brine tank, a concentrator, a pump and tu es to deliver/the brine from the tank to the concentrator, means to return the soluble substance from the concentrator to the tank, tubes to condense the vapor of the solvent and return the water of condensation to the vent and return the water of condensation to tank, and means to ap ly the coolin effect the tank, and means to apply the cooling of the brine to cool t e soluble su stance effect of the brine in its passage 'to the conon its way from the concentrator to the tank. centrator to cool and condense the vapor 6 10. Refrigerating apparatus comprisin a from the solvent in its passage from the 5 brine tank, a concentrator, a pump and tn es concentrator to the tank. to deliver the brine from the tank to the This specification signed this 2d day of concentrator, mean's to return the soluble January A. D. 1925. substance from the concentrator to the 10 tank, tubes to condense the vapor of the sol- DONALD B. KNIGHT. 

